I don't know anything about cameras. At all. For all my videos I've been using either my girlfriend's big heavy Canon which works fantastically, but is... well big and heavy, or I've been using my phone which is far from a good phone camera let alone a good camera. I've just been looking at Go Pro's and the Hero 7 looks good (I know there is now an 8, but I've seen that the lens protector can't be replaced and I think really the 7 sounds good and I'm not starting a film career so will be good enough for me) but I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions/recommendations/advice/wisdom. Any camera that can survive being dropped by a clutz and won't instantaneously run out of battery would be nice. What's everyone else been using?

   Honestly, though I have some good cameras I have just used my cell phone camera for years.  It does a satisfactory job and is there when I need it.  My phone is an Galaxy S-7 BTW.  One of these days I'll upgrade. 

I do need a new phone. Maybe I should combine the two...

I also just use my phone.  When I first started recording videos, I had an old Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime.  It worked, but was far from what I would consider good.  Like you I was thinking about buying a camera.  But last Summer/Fall I changed my phone provider and bought a Galaxy S10.  It is so much better for pictures and video that I completely dropped the idea of buying a camera.  If you need a new phone anyway, I would recommend starting there.  And you can alway look at getting a camera if the new phone doesn't work to the level you want.

One thing is being able to mount it to a tripod but I guess that should be possible for most phones.


joe_meadmaker wrote on Mar 8^th, 2020 at 2:35pm:

you can alway look at getting a camera if the new phone doesn't work to the level you want.

This is true. My phone has been playing up all winter with the battery going to zero from 30% or 40% just because it's cold and when I say cold I don't even mean minus degrees. I've heard good things about Galaxy phones. Hmmm...

I use my phone camera for most of my videos. cellphone cameras have advanced a lot. I can shoot 4k 30fps! I cannot edit 4k easily its a pain in the ass. The big problem with phone cameras is that they have no optical zoom, the nice thing is that they have a big screen.
I was thinking of buying a camera for the channel I remember the all around best category is a compact camera they have the best prices with very good optical zoom, I ended up buying a phone (2 in1).

Kick wrote on Mar 8^th, 2020 at 2:40pm:

My phone has been playing up all winter with the battery going to zero from 30% or 40% just because it's cold and when I say cold I don't even mean minus degrees.

I didn't have that problem, but had others.  One thing my old phone started doing in humid weather was zooming in and out really fast.  Sort of like jumping from a 1X zoom to a 4X zoom and back every 1/2 second.  Eventually it would just stay at the zoomed in level and the frame of the video was terrible.  I lost some good sling hits on video because of that. :(

The new iPhone 11 has an awesome camera. My gf just upgraded. A good dslr camera is probably better but can’t call anyone ha ha . I personally think that a new phone is a good option

Thanks for all the help guys. I think a new phone is the way to go then. Now I've just go to decide which phone to choose...